Join us at the Game Developers Conference March 27-29 in San Francisco, and see how Autodesk game development and 3D animation software can help you push boundaries in console, mobile, social and casual game development.

This will be your opportunity to:

-Be one of the first to see the 2014 Autodesk 3D animation and Gameware releases in action

-Attend sponsored sessions, sharpen your technical skills and get advice from the experts

-Come by the mobile game development station to play games and learn more about the latest Autodesk solutions for mobile game development

-Try your hand at creature creation with the newly released 123D Creature app, on the iPad.

Request a private demonstration or a meeting with one of our sales representative.
Submit Request , or e-mail Gameware@autodesk.com with the following details:
Your name
Studio name/Location
Product(s) of interest
Target platform(s)
Other project details

An Introduction of the Concepts and Workflows Involved in Motion Capture for Game Production

Where: Room 3024 Westhall
Who: Hein Beute, Xsens; Lee Fraser, Autodesk
Description: Xsens and Autodesk will give an introduction of the concepts and workflows involved in motion capture for game production. During a live demo of Xsens MVN motion capture we will provide a basic overview of bringing MVN data into Autodesk MotionBuilder. The session will cover the use of control rigs, devices, recording live data, fixing common retargeting problems, plotting animation, animation layers.

Where: Room 310 Esplanade, South HallWho: Greg Castle, Autodesk & Panel Guests.Description: In this session we'll discuss the benefits of using a 3D art pipeline to create mobile/casual games. From fast iteration times to highly reusable assets, using 3D tools has a variety of workflow and quality advantages over alternative 2D methods. Greg Castle, Senior Marketing Manager at Autodesk, will begin with a brief overview of the evolution of 3D tool use in mobile/casual games and discuss the latest relevant features of Autodesk 3D animation software and Gameware products. The session will then move to a panel discussion with several prominent mobile game developers on their workflow and experience using a 3D pipeline. The panel includes special guests from Go-Time, Industrial Toys, Phyken Media, and Subatomic Studios.

Where: Room 310 Esplanade, South HallWho: Guillaume Aldebert, AutodeskDescription: Robust and flexible navigation is a key component of modern game AI. Autodesk Gameware Navigation is a complete NavMesh-based solution for video games. It is the successor of Kynapse which shipped in more than 100 games. Navigation builds upon this experience with an all-new code base. The session will concentrate on the hottest new features of Navigation: real-time dynamic NavMesh, custom costs and movements, comprehensive remote visual debugging, refined and enriched paths for intuitive path following. Most of the session will be live demos, using visual debugging to show transparently how Navigation works under the hood.

Where: Room 310 Esplanade, South HallWho: Judd Simantov, Game Character AcademyDescription: Too often rigging is thought of in terms of the underlying skeletal structure and the animation puppet. This talk is going to delve into the deformation aspects of rigging (specifically the face) and discuss how and why every rigger should be a sculptor. We'll look at the importance of Autodesk Mudbox as a primary tool for riggers and how to develop a strong bi-directional pipeline between Autodesk Maya and Mudbox. We'll take a series of anatomical case studies and look at the structural motivation behind them and how it affects the exterior skin. This talk is going to focus on the importance of the artistic side of rigging.

Daryl is a 20-year CG veteran who started working for Alias in 1995 as an application engineer. His current role at Autodesk is Senior Technical Marketing Manager. Daryl is responsible for building many of the presentations used at events such as Siggraph, IBC, GDC, and NAB. He has spent his career working with clients, ensuring their success at implementing Autodesk® technology. In addition to his role at Autodesk, Daryl was an adjunct faculty member at NYU"s Tisch School of the Arts, where he taught rendering and special effects.

CG Animation Creative Supervisor, Derald Hunt, helps lead Turner Studios' Visual Effects teams for many of their long form projects. Derald, an 20 year veteran of the 3D animation and visual effects industry, is a prolific generalist, known for using his wealth of production knowledge to solve the toughest of technical and creative challenges. Derald was awarded the prestigious title of Maya Master in 2004 and has become a popular presenter at various animation events worldwide. He has co-authored training DVDs for Autodesk and continues to work on materials that help the CG animation community grow. Derald is currently on assignment in Vancouver, supervising the visual effects for a series being shot for Cartoon Network.

CG Animation Creative Supervisor, Derald Hunt, helps lead Turner Studios' Visual Effects teams for many of their long form projects. Derald, an 20 year veteran of the 3D animation and visual effects industry, is a prolific generalist, known for using his wealth of production knowledge to solve the toughest of technical and creative challenges. Derald was awarded the prestigious title of Maya Master in 2004 and has become a popular presenter at various animation events worldwide. He has co-authored training DVDs for Autodesk and continues to work on materials that help the CG animation community grow. Derald is currently on assignment in Vancouver, supervising the visual effects for a series being shot for Cartoon Network.

An expert in the field of computer graphics for over 15 years, Ruff got his start in New York working for a digital post production facility, and worked for Crystal Dynamics in the 90"s. Ruff worked for the Autodesk Multimedia group as a product specialist. Eventually this passion and knowledge put him into the Product Designer position for 3ds max. After a few releases Ruff went on to be the design lead for a team of engineers tasked in creating other "top secret" 3d software for Autodesk. Having redesigned many aspects of 3ds max Ruff knows it inside and out—a huge benefit when it comes to creating compelling 3d animation.
Currently he resides at Bent in Portland OR where he supervises their 3D graphics department. Ruff"s works on commercials, films TV shows and music videos. He is currently the visual effects supervisor for the Bent"s FX work on NBC"s Grimm.

An expert in the field of computer graphics for over 15 years, Ruff got his start in New York working for a digital post production facility, and worked for Crystal Dynamics in the 90"s. Ruff worked for the Autodesk Multimedia group as a product specialist. Eventually this passion and knowledge put him into the Product Designer position for 3ds max. After a few releases Ruff went on to be the design lead for a team of engineers tasked in creating other "top secret" 3d software for Autodesk. Having redesigned many aspects of 3ds max Ruff knows it inside and out—a huge benefit when it comes to creating compelling 3d animation.
Currently he resides at Bent in Portland OR where he supervises their 3D graphics department. Ruff"s works on commercials, films TV shows and music videos. He is currently the visual effects supervisor for the Bent"s FX work on NBC"s Grimm.

Javier is currently a Lead Character Technical Director at DreamWorks Animation. Filmography at DreamWorks include: Shrek Forever After, Rise of the Guardians, Puss in Boots, Turbo and Trolls.
Nominated for a Maya Masters Award in 2008. Presented seminars for Autodesk in 2007 and 2008 in LA, Boston and Torino, Italy.
Also worked for Electronic Arts, Disney Interactive Studios and Lost Boy Studios as well as freelance work in VFX.
Founder of Rigging101.com a site that has inspired and educated countless riggers across the world.

Joe Gunn is a senior freelance 3D artist based in New York City and has been involved in the 3D animation industry for more than 10 years. He has taught Autodesk"s Master Classes, produced numerous tutorials and scripts for free (and some for purchase) and is always available to answer questions, show you a tip using Autodesk® 3ds Max® software, and to offer advice based on real experience. In 2009 Joe has been recognized as an Autodesk Master by industry peers. He has authored 3 DVD training titles: "Hair 3ds Max Out-ofthe- Box", "mental ray Studio Car Rendering", and "Cloth Beyond the Character", with a fourth title in production. Joe has worked on many different productions from feature films like 2012, Fast 5, and Final Destination 5, to award nominated music videos (Kerli) and more.

Kenny Roy started his career in 1998 as a dustbuster on the animated film, Marco Polo: Return to Xanadu. From those humble beginnings, he"s gone on to animate some of the most memorable characters on screen. In almost 15 years, Kenny has animated for TV shows, pilots, commercials, games, web, ride films and feature films, with his most notable credits being Scooby Doo 2, Garfield and King Kong.
In 2006 Kenny founded Arconyx Animation Studios, LLC in Los Angeles, Calif. The boutique studio caters solely to character projects, and has found major success pleasing high-profile clients from Mattel to MTV, Nike to Nickelodeon, Saban to SyFy. To learn more about Arconyx Animation Studios, check out the site: http://www.arconyx.com/
Along with running Arconyx, Kenny mentors full-time at AnimationMentor.com. When not hard at work, Kenny enjoys writing screenplays, playing guitar, and spending time with his wife and son.

Kevin has worked for Autodesk for 18 years in various capacities, all customization related—from developer support and testing, to software development and consulting. He has also worked for a large reseller/consulting firm, and he has a customer-centric sensibility. Kevin currently is a principal developer consultant working in the Media and Entertainment ADN workgroup. He has expertise in AutoCAD®, AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD MEP, Autodesk® Revit®, and is most recently specializing in Autodesk 3ds Max® customization areas.

Where: Room 310 Esplanade, South HallWho: Ankur Mohan, Autodesk; Mark Geigel, ISOTXDescription: This session will consist of an analysis and review of the most recent developments of Autodesk Scaleform, an industry-leading tool for game UI development. It will present a case study by Mark Geigel, CTO of game studio ISOTX, describing the use of Scaleform to make user interfaces for a multi-platform (PC/Mac/Android/iOS), Unity 3D-based title. Reviewing both challenges and benefits of using Scaleform, Mark will discuss topics such as: in-game HUD implementation, RESTful web services, handling data conversion and large data structures with Scaleform, using the CLIK tool kit, and WebSync communication.

Laurent M. Abecassis is an Emmy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and CG character specialist. He is known for his work as a VFX sequence supervisor on the acclaimed TV series Lost, contributing to its breathtaking plane crash sequences. Having worked in the computer graphic field for more than 15 years, Abecassis has tackled many aspects of CG production and software development. He led CG character research efforts at Di-O-Matic, supervised visual effects, and designed production pipelines. For more than a decade, Abecassis has pushed Autodesk software to the extreme in countless productions in a wide range of media—games, television, visual effects, CG feature films, commercials, and innovative interactive kiosks. For the past ten years, Abecassis has been designing and actively developing CG character animations plug-ins for 3ds Max, Maya and Softimage since 2000. His technologies are in use today at leading production houses such as Activision, Blur Studio and Rockstar.

Lee Fraser started working for Alias|Wavefront over 15 years ago as
an Application Engineer supporting Maya customers. He now works
as a Sr. Technical Specialist for Autodesk focusing on helping customers
get the most out of Maya, Mudbox, and MotionBuilder in a variety of pipelines.
He has enjoyed working with a diverse array of customers from NASA to Disney
and EA to the Hare Krishnas and numerous individual artists in between.
He is a frequent speaker at User Groups and Trade Shows around the country
such as Siggraph and GDC and often helps produce demo content for these events.
He has also conducted training for numerous magazine writers that evaluate Maya
for review articles including CGW, 3dWorld, and Post. Lee attended Florida State University
where he attended classes focusing on Film, editing, and studio broadcast.

Louis Marcoux is an Autodesk Technical Specialist for 3D Animation and Visual Effects since 2003. Prior to Autodesk, he was a real-time broadcast graphics specialist for 5 years, working with Discreet Logic and Vertigo X media. Louis received a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Polytechnique in Montreal and also holds a Bachelor of Communications degree from UQAM and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production from Concordia University.

Matthew has worked in video game development for the last 8 years, holding positions at Mythic as Lead World Designer on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Senior Gameplay Designer at the former Midway Games LA Studio, and has worked on indie projects as well. He speaks regularly at events around the world on development techniques and trends, and currently holds the position of Game Products Specialist at Autodesk. Most recently he has helped Autodesk lead the charge into mobile gaming and application development.

Mike Weiss is the Chief Technical Officer at Mackevision Corporation in Detroit, Michigan. He is part of a team that delivers the highest creative and technical levels of digital and print media. Mike is a highly skilled technician and artist, balancing the creative and logical sides of his brain to generate great imagery, animation, and visualization, as well as developing automated solutions with custom programs and scripts. Mike has developed tools for the creation of product-correct virtual vehicles that are highly complex, scalable, and repeatable. His true passion is bringing ideas to life through design, development, and production.

Paul Neale has been internationally known in the 3D Animation industry for almost two decades. His extensive involvement as Senior Director of Research and Development and Art Director of 3D has encompassed areas in TV series, feature film, special effects and high-profile games. Paul specializes in character rigging and modeling as well as writing plug-ins and scripted tools for system, software and production needs. In addition to his industry experience, Paul has been an Ontario College Professor for fifteen years where he brings his knowledge, professionalism and passion of 3D to his students. In 2008, Paul received Autodesk Masters Award for Contributions to CG Artistry. Paul Neale has been a Presenter for multiple Siggraph Master Classes as well as a Master Class at GDC. He has represented Autodesk as a regular Guest Speaker at trade shows and special events. Paul Neale has trained numerous companies over the years including Walt Disney Studios, UBIsoft.

Paul Neale has been internationally known in the 3D Animation industry for almost two decades. His extensive involvement as Senior Director of Research and Development and Art Director of 3D has encompassed areas in TV series, feature film, special effects and high-profile games. Paul specializes in character rigging and modeling as well as writing plug-ins and scripted tools for system, software and production needs. In addition to his industry experience, Paul has been an Ontario College Professor for fifteen years where he brings his knowledge, professionalism and passion of 3D to his students. In 2008, Paul received Autodesk Masters Award for Contributions to CG Artistry. Paul Neale has been a Presenter for multiple Siggraph Master Classes as well as a Master Class at GDC. He has represented Autodesk as a regular Guest Speaker at trade shows and special events. Paul Neale has trained numerous companies over the years including Walt Disney Studios, UBIsoft.

Paul Neale has been internationally known in the 3D Animation industry for almost two decades. His extensive involvement as Senior Director of Research and Development and Art Director of 3D has encompassed areas in TV series, feature film, special effects and high-profile games. Paul specializes in character rigging and modeling as well as writing plug-ins and scripted tools for system, software and production needs. In addition to his industry experience, Paul has been an Ontario College Professor for fifteen years where he brings his knowledge, professionalism and passion of 3D to his students. In 2008, Paul received Autodesk Masters Award for Contributions to CG Artistry. Paul Neale has been a Presenter for multiple Siggraph Master Classes as well as a Master Class at GDC. He has represented Autodesk as a regular Guest Speaker at trade shows and special events. Paul Neale has trained numerous companies over the years including Walt Disney Studios, UBIsoft.

Roland Reyer has started in 1992 as an Application Engineer at Wavefront Technologies GmbH in Germany. He became an industry expert for the entire product portfolio of Wavefront Technologies, later Alias | Wavefront, Alias and finally Autodesk. In his role as an application specialist he tested, demonstrated and trained Maya from its very first version. With 20 years product and market experience, Roland now works at Autodesk as a Solutions Engineer for Maya, Maya Composite, Mudbox and Motionbuilder thoughout Europe.

TJ Galda has distinguished himself in the fields of film, television, animation, and video game development since the '90s. Most notably, TJ has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement award from the Ontario Government and was one of three recipients worldwide of the Autodesk Maya Master awards in 2006. Accolades in the environmental sector include Mr. Galda as an Ambassador for the David Suzuki Foundation, on the Board of Advisors for Zerofootprint, and the Chair of the Green Team for Electronic Arts Canada.
In his current role at Electronic Arts Canada, TJ is a Development Director leading the presentation and art production for a brand new game. His credits outside of multiple EA titles such as Fight Night Champion and SSX include work on two Academy Award nominated films, Over the Hedge, Kung Fu Panda, Fantastic Four, and many more. TJ is frequently asked to speak and has appeared at many conferences around the world.

Todd Akita is a Senior Technical Director at Psyop.
Founded in 2000 by five creatives, Psyop has become an amalgam of creativity and collaboration and remains focused on providing visual solutions for cinema, TV, and games.
As an original member of the company, his role involved finding creative solutions to technical problems with limited available resources. His background as a painter turned out to be an important asset at Psyop where the projects often required both artistic and technical input.
He considers himself proof that visual artists can learn how to build tools, and believes that understanding fundamental graphics math is well within the reach of most visual artists.

An Introduction of the Concepts and Workflows Involved in Motion Capture for Game Production

Where: Room 3024 Westhall
Who: Hein Beute, Xsens; Lee Fraser, Autodesk
Description: Xsens and Autodesk will give an introduction of the concepts and workflows involved in motion capture for game production. During a live demo of Xsens MVN motion capture we will provide a basic overview of bringing MVN data into Autodesk MotionBuilder. The session will cover the use of control rigs, devices, recording live data, fixing common retargeting problems, plotting animation, animation layers.

Description: In this session we'll discuss the benefits of using a 3D art pipeline to create mobile/casual games. From fast iteration times to highly reusable assets, using 3D tools has a variety of workflow and quality advantages over alternative 2D methods. Greg Castle, Senior Marketing Manager at Autodesk, will begin with a brief overview of the evolution of 3D tool use in mobile/casual games and discuss the latest relevant features of Autodesk 3D animation software and Gameware products. The session will then move to a panel discussion with several prominent mobile game developers on their workflow and experience using a 3D pipeline. The panel includes special guests from Go-Time, Industrial Toys, Phyken Media, and Subatomic Studios.

Description: Robust and flexible navigation is a key component of modern game AI. Autodesk Gameware Navigation is a complete NavMesh-based solution for video games. It is the successor of Kynapse which shipped in more than 100 games. Navigation builds upon this experience with an all-new code base. The session will concentrate on the hottest new features of Navigation: real-time dynamic NavMesh, custom costs and movements, comprehensive remote visual debugging, refined and enriched paths for intuitive path following. Most of the session will be live demos, using visual debugging to show transparently how Navigation works under the hood.

Description: Too often rigging is thought of in terms of the underlying skeletal structure and the animation puppet. This talk is going to delve into the deformation aspects of rigging (specifically the face) and discuss how and why every rigger should be a sculptor. We'll look at the importance of Autodesk Mudbox as a primary tool for riggers and how to develop a strong bi-directional pipeline between Autodesk Maya and Mudbox. We'll take a series of anatomical case studies and look at the structural motivation behind them and how it affects the exterior skin. This talk is going to focus on the importance of the artistic side of rigging.

Virtual Production for the Real World Using Autodesk® MotionBuilder® 2013

This class will give attendees a firm understanding of the concepts and workflows involved in motion capture for virtual production. We will provide a basic overview of working with Autodesk MotionBuilder software and describe some of the options available for getting data in on a low budget.

To get a good perspective on how to use Autodesk tools in production, it helps to follow real world projects. In this class we will follow four projects that Turner Studios developed for NBA AllStars promotions. Each project is radically different from each other. In each case the scope of work or deadline changed to require some quick solutions to meet deadlines as well as artistic expectations.

From concept development to final delivery, developing VFX for a live action television series presents many challenges. In this case study, we will review Turner Studio's successful workflow and efficiencies using Autodesk Mudbox and Autodesk Maya software to yield fantastic results on a very tight budget.

This class will provide you with a basic understanding of working on short-deadline effects for television. We will walk through the process using Autodesk® 3ds Max® software with V-Ray®, including Autodesk® Mudbox® software and 3D lookup table workflows with render element compositing.

This class will provide you with a basic and advanced understanding of sRGB space, otherwise known as gamma 2.2. Gamma 2.2 has the potential to ruin your renderings. We will present an overview of how to work with it and not be burdened by it. Then we will dive into using 1D and 3D lookup tables for production.

Judd Simantov is one of the Co-Founders of Game Character Academy. Previously he was the Art Technical Lead at Naughty Dog and was responsible for the rigs and pipeline created and used on the Uncharted series. He then moved onto developing the rigs and pipeline for The Last of Us. He has since become an independent contractor and does consulting, rigging and tools development for Naughty Dog, Blizzard Entertaintment, Insomniac, Crytek, Riot Games, Sucker Punch and Big Red Button. Judd has also given talks at the Game Developers Conference in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. He has also been part of round table panels at both Siggraph and GDC.

Lights, Cameras, Action: Professional Editing and Effects for Better Storytelling

Take advantage of the tools and techniques that the pros use on blockbuster films and television commercials to create videos and presentations that will blow your audiences away. If you currently edit video or produce renders for video, you need to attend this class. You" will see how paring Autodesk® Smoke® software for editing and effects with animation products, such as Autodesk® 3ds Max® software, enables a powerful pro video workflow for integrating high-definition video, 3D renders, and 3D data to produce results that surpass the look of standard corporate video. Replace cumbersome workflows that require round-tripping between editing, 3D, and effects applications with the power of Autodesk products" integrated video, special effects, and 3D pipeline to deliver professional video results.

Mass Entertainment: New Methods of Financing and Production to Create Your Own Content

As audiences flock to the web for entertainment, it is increasingly difficult for old-guard media companies to distribute content to the masses. However, this exodus from traditional channels spells new opportunities for individual content creators. Crowd-funding, ad-revenue-supported media, and direct-to-consumer distribution are changing the way creators get their content into the hands of willing audiences. We will discuss the trends in the industry, and I will share my personal story of success funding my short animated film The Little Painter at 170% of its projected budget using crowd funding and clever marketing.

Description: This session will consist of an analysis and review of the most recent developments of Autodesk Scaleform, an industry-leading tool for game UI development. It will present a case study by Mark Geigel, CTO of game studio ISOTX, describing the use of Scaleform to make user interfaces for a multi-platform (PC/Mac/Android/iOS), Unity 3D-based title. Reviewing both challenges and benefits of using Scaleform, Mark will discuss topics such as: in-game HUD implementation, RESTful web services, handling data conversion and large data structures with Scaleform, using the CLIK tool kit, and WebSync communication.

Last year, with the release of the Autodesk® Subscription Advantage Pack for Autodesk 3ds Max 2012, .NET users gained access to significant enhancements in the Autodesk 3ds Max C++ SDK, enabling them to do more with Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 software. Now, these .NET APIs are available in the main product. In this class, we will introduce you to .NET API programming in 3ds Max. We will present using the C# language, but the techniques can apply to any .NET programming language, including Microsoft® Visual Basic®. We will cover how to create an assembly that will load into the 3ds Max environment. We will show how to interface with other .NET Framework features that will include the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and other features such as LINQ functionality. This class will be organized for those who want an introduction to these new APIs, including practical techniques. You do not need to know 3ds Max programming, but some general programming experience will be helpful.

During this class, you will learn the best practices and typical approaches involved when developing custom tools for Autodesk® 3ds Max®, Autodesk® Maya®, Autodesk® Softimage®, and Autodesk® Motionbuilder® software. We will cover scripting and programming languages and discuss the numerous APIs and SDKs available from Autodesk. This class will help you grasp what you can do beyond what is available out of the box in Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suites.

The Paint Effects Tool in Autodesk Maya software enables artists to create a wide variety of objects—from organic trees and plants to hard-surface models such as stairs and structures. You can also use Paint Effects to add lighting effects and texture painting to a scene. This class will explore how to get the most out of Paint Effects and cover ways of using it for a wide range of projects.

In this class, you will learn to build engaging video projections on public surfaces that will give the illusion that the surface is being animated with all sorts of effects. Projections in 4D involve reality capture, projector calibration, projection mapping, and renderings from distorted perspectives. The class will cover both theory and practical examples.

Re-Thinking Mobile Business Applications Using Scaleform for Mobile Platforms

With the explosive growth of mobile devices and applications, many questions have arisen surrounding their practical implementation. In this session we will walk through the creation of a real, deployed app from early concept and design through deployment on multiple mobile platforms. The session will include a basic technical introduction to Scaleform for Mobile Platforms, which will be used as an example to show how mobile app creation can be made accessible to a variety of industries, project types, and skill levels.

When working with engineering data for modern consumer products, there are many complexities in the development of marketing and visualization assets. The production of many concurrent variations in color, styling, and functionality makes handling these details inside a strong pipeline critical for success. This class will focus on a case study of how we at Mackevision focus on a convergence of all data from various sources to an internal standard in our image creation pipeline with Autodesk® 3ds Max® and Autodesk® Maya®. We will share some of the tools and techniques we have developed in production. We will discuss the value of organizing and tagging variants, NURBS and solids translation to standard quality polygonal sets, attribute tagging for cross-software use, efficient neutral data formats, batch processing of data on a computing farm, managing geometric and color variants on a large scale, tracking data through the entire pipeline, and scripting tools that help users to stay within the standards.

Autodesk 3ds Max software provides a comprehensive and flexible set of tools for developing character animation rigs and systems. This class will walk you through the steps necessary to create dynamic character rigging systems using the built-in tool sets. To ensure that you have a full understanding of the potential of working with 3ds Max for character-based productions, we will cover parameter wiring, constraints, bones, and skinning. If you are an artist who wants to understand the workings behind character animation, this class is for you.

Autodesk® 3ds Max® software provides a comprehensive and flexible set of tools for developing character animation rigs and systems. This class will focus on taking it to the next level by exploring advanced features for developing character rigs and systems. We will use MAXScript to develop tool sets that help you create custom reusable character systems. The class will introduce you to new ways of thinking that enable character technical directors (TD) to provide character rigs with depth. Attendees should have prior knowledge of rigging in 3ds Max.

In 2009, Autodesk® 3ds Max® software opened up MAXScript to .NET to enhance user interface design and extend the capability of MAXScript beyond the confines of 3ds Max. With .NET, tool developers can create dynamic and comprehensive production tools to help manage scenes, characters, and data sets, as well as an infinite host of other possibilities. In this class, you will learn to inspect .NET classes and objects and use them to build comprehensive .NET tools in MAXScript. This is an intermediate MAXScript class—participants should have a good working knowledge of MAXScript and the fundamentals of coding, including a good understanding of function, for loops, and data types.

The script language MEL (Maya Embedded Language) is not only a feature of Autodesk Maya software, it is the foundation. Every function in Maya is a MEL command that can be accessed using menus, icons, buttons, marking menus, and other controls. In this class, we will cover MEL concepts, the possibilities and limitations of this scripting language, and the differences in the Maya API. We will work through some examples, and discuss the differences between MEL and Python and explain the advantages of using Python for Maya.

Staring into the Abyss: The Evolution of Computer Graphics in Entertainment

Follow Steve "Spaz" Williams as he takes you through a brief history of the computer graphics industry and its influence on digital entertainment creation. This class will provide a complete behind-the-scenes look at movies that had a direct impact on the field of computer graphics imagery (CGI) for motion pictures, including The Abyss, Terminator 2, and Jurassic Park. As chief animator on these and many other landmark CGI special effects projects at Industrial Light and Magic, Steve lived through the evolution of computer graphics. Representing a revolution in the film industry, this important period set a new standard for special effects and set in motion the way we produce and consume media and entertainment to this day.

How do you create half a feature film in a year without a renderer? Great games engage the player. The key is to fully immerse the player. Fight Night Champion set out to retain and improve on an already critically acclaimed game and add 40 minutes of a feature film cinematic experience, including lip-synching. In this class, we will show how we achieved the transition between real-time rendered graphics and key cinematics while keeping the same visual quality. To complete the project, we developed several unorthodox techniques that are a hybrid of film techniques and traditional game workflows. We will dive in to specific examples o